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C of I Newsletter

2012. 09. 07

headlines

Welcome back to the C of I!

The 2012-2013 school year is officially under way at The College of Idaho! Whether you’re an incoming freshman, a transfer student, a returning undergraduate or a member of the faculty or staff, we are excited to welcome you back to campus after an eventful summer break.

For those of you who are new to campus, this is the C of I Newsletter. It is published every other Friday by the Office of Marketing and Communications and sent to all students, faculty and staff as well as alumni and friends of the College. The Newsletter is a great way to keep up with campus news, notes and events, so be sure to check it out! Past issues of the Newsletter are available here, along with a link where parents, friends and others can subscribe and stay in the loop.

If you were away from campus this summer, here are some major news items to catch up on:

- In May, the College reinstated its football team, establishing the only small college program in Idaho. Coyote football – dormant since 1977 – will return in fall 2014. The team will play in Simplot Stadium near campus and will join the Frontier Conference as a football-only member. Read all about the football team in the official press release, or get an in-depth look at the program’s history in the summer issue of Quest.

- The College welcomes Dr. John Ottenhoff as its new vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty. Ottenhoff replaces Dr. Mark Smith, who returns to the classroom this fall after serving for 10 years as the College’s VP for Academic Affairs.

- In late August, the College formalized a partnership with Idaho State University on a joint master’s program for physician assistants. Read more about this exciting development in the “headlines” section of today’s Newsletter.

If you have news or events to share in the Newsletter, please email them to jrodriguez@collegeofidaho.edu or dwunderlich@collegeofidaho.edu. Also, be sure to watch for the Coyote Calendar (every Monday) and Weekend Planner (every other Thursday) emails, which contain a list of all upcoming campus events. All students, faculty and staff receive these emails.

Thanks for taking a moment to read the Newsletter. There is a lot going on, and you don’t want to miss out on the fun! We wish you all a fun, safe and rewarding school year.

Jordan Rodriguez and Dustin Wunderlich
C of I communications staff

C of I, ISU partner to educate more physician assistants

C of I President Marv Henberg and ISU President Arthur Vailas formalize their schools' partnership on a joint PA program

The College of Idaho and Idaho State University will address the growing need for primary health providers in Idaho and the nation by educating more physician assistants beginning in fall 2014.

At a news conference Aug. 30, leaders from both institutions signed an agreement to expand ISU’s two-year Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program to a third campus at The College of Idaho in Caldwell. ISU's MPAS Program, which began in 1995, has graduated 16 classes and 508 physician assistants.

The joint ISU and C of I program will enhance the quality of health care in Idaho, said C of I President Marv Henberg.

“Idaho needs more highly skilled medical professionals as its population continues to grow,” Henberg said. “The College of Idaho has a strong track record of educating students who go on to successful careers in medicine. Partnering with Idaho State University is a natural fit that takes advantage of both institutions’ strengths and resources.”

Physician assistants are highly skilled health practitioners who work under physician supervision to provide patient care services. It’s one of the fastest growing occupations in the nation, with the Idaho Department of Labor estimating that the number of PA positions in the state will increase by more than 40 percent between 2008 and 2018.

A projected shortage of physicians, aging population and implementation of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 also are expected to drive the demand for physician assistants.

“We are delighted to expand our Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program to The College of Idaho campus,” said Idaho State University President Arthur C. Vailas. “This collaboration will enable ISU and the C of I to meet the increasing demand for physician assistants in Idaho and improve access to quality health care for citizens living in our underserved communities.”

PA students at The College of Idaho will be linked via immersive distance learning technology with students at ISU’s existing programs in Pocatello and Meridian. Full-time faculty based in each location will facilitate a high level of interactive and hands-on learning. During their second year in the program, PA students will participate in a series of clinical rotations in appropriate medical contexts, with guidance from faculty and clinical preceptors.

“I’m thrilled to be working with The College of Idaho. This partnership strengthens both of our institutions and will enable us to meet the health care demands of Idaho and the region,” said Paula Phelps, program director and chair of the ISU Department of Physician Assistant Studies.

Henberg noted that many doctors practicing in Idaho earned their bachelor’s degrees at the C of I, an asset for PA students needing clinical experience as part of their coursework.

“The College of Idaho’s strong connections to leaders in the medical and health care community will be a tremendous benefit for our PA students who need to gain experience in a clinical setting,” Henberg said.

A public university and private college partnering to deliver PA education is unique, noted Linda Hatzenbuehler, ISU Division of Health Sciences associate academic vice president and executive dean. She said she wasn’t aware of any programs like it in the country.

“Developing this public-private partnership has been a lengthy process. We were all working on uncharted territory, but we stuck to our commitment and I am proud of our product. I appreciate all of the many individuals on both campuses who helped build this new partnership,” Hatzenbuehler said.

C of I hosts inaugural 'State of Athletics' event

College of Idaho Athletic Director Marty Holly

The College of Idaho Athletics Department will host its first-ever “State of Athletics” event Monday, Sept. 10, inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center. The evening will be held in conjunction with the annual all-athletes meeting and will begin with a social gathering and light refreshments at 6:30 p.m. in the JAAC Foyer. Guests then will hear from Athletic Director Marty Holly, who will begin his “State of Athletics” address at approximately 7:20 p.m.

“We wanted to give our fans, boosters and students a chance to recognize and honor the many accomplishments our teams and student-athletes made last season,” Holly said. “And also to talk about the upcoming year and the future of Coyote athletics, including the restoration of our football team.”

The event, sponsored by Northwestern Mutual Financial Services and The College of Idaho Athletic Association, is free and open to all C of I students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends and the public. Holly and the C of I coaching staff will be on hand to answer questions from fans and supporters prior to the address.

The 2012-2013 athletic year is already under way as the C of I soccer, volleyball and cross country teams have begun competition. The College also recently launched a new athletics website, www.yoteathletics.com.

For more information or to RSVP for the “State of Athletics” event (RSVP’s are not necessary, but would be appreciated), please contact Dave Hahn, director of athletic marketing, at (208) 459-5835 or dhahn@collegeofidaho.edu. We look forward to seeing you Monday night. Go Yotes!

Incoming freshmen connect in McCall

The College of Idaho’s first-year students enjoyed two sunny days in McCall this week, making new friends, meeting some of their professors and learning the keys to success for their next four years at the C of I during the annual McCall Wilderness Experience.

Nearly 300 members of the Class of 2016 participated in this year’s retreat at Camp Ida-Haven. The freshmen experienced the beauty of picturesque Payette Lake while working together in teams to navigate 21 challenge course stations, talking with peer mentors about their concerns for succeeding in college, and getting to know one another during “Group Chaos” led by theatre professor Joe Golden.

news

This summer, a group of 14 C of I students traveled to China on a custom-designed study abroad experience with political economy professor Robert Dayley and history professor Jeff Snyder-Reinke as part of the Asian Studies course “China: Trade, Commerce, and Culture.” The group spent a full month in China, studying the country’s historic Tea Horse Road in Yunnan Province and Tibet. Click to read a collection of photo essays authored by the students, or check out more than 130 photos from China on Flickr.

College of Idaho archivist Jan Boles was featured on the front page of the Idaho Statesman for his recent publication “A Public Silence Broken: The Murderer Harry Orchard’s Forgotten Family.” Boles’ booklet tells the story of Florence and Olive Horsley, the wife and daughter Orchard abandoned before becoming one of Idaho’s most infamous criminals.

Jan Summers Duffy, an archaeologist and curator of Egyptology at the Orma J. Smith Museum of Natural History, recently had an article published in the popular British magazine Ancient Egypt. The article, titled "Beauty, Purity, Preservation and Durability…Artifacts of Stone," examines stone artifacts found in tombs – in particular the famous Tomb of Tutankhamun, KV62 – in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. Contact Duffy in the museum to see a copy of the article.

The College of Idaho extends its condolences to the family of alumnus Dr. Wayne Crill ’57, who recently passed away at the age of 77. Crill was born in Nampa and spent his career in Seattle, where he worked as a neuroscientist, neurologist and professor at the University of Washington. In 2007, Crill was honored with The College of Idaho’s Golden Jubilee Lifetime Achievement Award. His life and achievements were celebrated in this Seattle Timesobituary.

C of I alumna and renowned education philanthropist Kathryn Albertson recently was featured in the Idaho history blog South Fork Companion.

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